Andrew Flintoff finally found form with the bat to send Lancashire hurtling up the County Championship table after a superb eight-wicket win over Sussex at Hove.

The England all-rounder battered an unbeaten 62 off 59 balls, including three sixes and seven fours, to help Lancashire chase down 107 with eight wickets to spare.

Paul Horton also finished 38 not out, in an unbroken third wicket partnership of 93, to help put Lancashire within 13 points of leaders Nottinghamshire.

Red Rose captain Stuart Law was understated in his assessment, saying: "It's not bad. We've got nine games to go, and if we play anything like that for the rest of the year we are going to be hard to beat.

"That was a thoroughly professional performance. The bowlers were magnificent on a docile pitch. I can't praise the guys enough because their standards really held the game together."

Glen Chapple and Sajid Mahmood combined with the ball to set up the side's second win of the campaign, for which they claimed 21 points.

The bowling pair shared four wickets in just 9.3 overs of play in the morning session to polish off the county champions' second innings for just 245. Chapple finished with figures of 6-58 from 26 overs, while Mahmood recorded 3-51 from 15.5.

Lou Vincent and Mal Loye both went cheaply to left-arm seamer Jason Lewry, before Flintoff came in at No.4 to conclude the game in double quick time.

The 30-year-old belted three straight sixes after he survived a massive caught behind shout on just two off West Indian Corey Collymore. He was later dropped in the slips on 18.